A police dog in Nottinghamshire, UK, is being hailed as a hero for the way he valiantly snatched an ax out of the hands of a violent drunk.
The incident happened in November, when Rossi’s handler, police constable Matt Rogers, was answering a call about the behavior of an axe-wielding suspect later identified as Adrian Dowdall, 36.
When Rossi saw the suspect waving the ax, he leapt 8 feet into the air to grab the weapon in his mouth, before spitting it out and grabbing Dowdall with his teeth so Rogers could make an arrest, according to This Is Nottingham.
Rossi, a 7-year-old Belgian shepherd, wasn’t trying to be a hero — he mistook the ax for a toy and the attack for a game, according to SWNS.com.
“It wasn’t long before we saw our target,” Rogers said, according to Mansfield Chad. “Rossi is trained to detain offenders, not disarm them. I think he thought it was a toy.It happened in an instant. He went straight for it, spat it out and detained the man.”
The suspect was sentenced to 160 days on May 31 after pleading guilty to having a bladed article in a public place, the BBC reported.
Meanwhile, Rossi is up for retirement in September and Rogers plans to adopt him as a pet, according to This Is Nottingham.
Judge Michael Stokes QC praised Rossi’s bravery at an earlier hearing court h
“It was only afterwards that I realised the gravity of the situation. It was quite a big axe. Rossi just loves the job so much that he sees no limits.”
